i do me

minji agrees, nodding along with sori's mention of photos she doesn't even know about. "i've seen pictures of myself where i don't even remember where they were taken," she laughs. "like this one time, i saw a picture of myself on the internet at... i think it was one of the fan concerts? and i didn't even remember i was in those performances." "you're going to do well," minji confidently declares. "we're all good at dancing, so it shouldn't be too bad." she thinks about what to eat after the dance practice, and red bean sounds quite good. "there's that bakery down the street? don't they have red bean bread?" she thinks about what she's seen over there. "oh! and those really good twisted donuts too!" the girl does wonder when the others are coming, but considering just how early she tends to arrive, it doesn't catch minji by surprise. "i came in super early this morning to get some extra practice in, so maybe that's why. i feel like i'm always really early!"

“i’m still unsure how i feel about fans taking pictures of me without my knowledge in public” she hums, “i’ve always been told that’s just a part of being an idol, but it still feels a bit… weird? that i’m going for a walk and suddenly the next day i see a picture of me on said walk” she shrugs. “but i’ve also just never been the biggest fan of having pictures taken of me, so i might just be overreacting” she shrugs again. sori knew, that idol life came with a loss of privacy, she just couldn’t fully get used to it.

"i could ask the same about you," minji says. "you look good in every picture i've ever seen, promise!" minji thinks about the question herself though, pondering over what makes her take good pictures. of course, there are pictures she's taken that make her cringe, but since becoming an idol, she has regretted pictures she's taken less. so, she thinks "maybe it's the training?" she thinks back to the test shoots, the evaluations, the little trainee events she took pictures for. "legacy does make sure we get a lot of practice!" the girl nods. "three takes! there's no way we need longer than that unless something seriously goes wrong." she perks up at the thought of snacks, though. "that's a good motivator! maybe we should all go out for snacks later." speaking of, she's not sure when the others are arriving. "i'm sure they will," she reasons. "what time were we supposed to get here? i know i tried to come in pretty early."

“you’re too sweet” sori says, sending a smile the other’s way before taking a sip of her vitamin drink. while sori doesn’t care much for her looks, the countless of compliments on her looks has made her pretty sure she’s considered pretty. she’s unlike her brother when it comes to that, the man is very aware of his good looks, and he seems to care a lot about those said good looks. “sometimes it feels weird how many pictures of me is out there” she hums “people take pictures of me without i even realize they do it” she shrugs.

"you're going to do well," minji confidently declares. "we're all good at dancing, so it shouldn't be too bad." she thinks about what to eat after the dance practice, and red bean sounds quite good. "there's that bakery down the street? don't they have red bean bread?" she thinks about what she's seen over there. "oh! and those really good twisted donuts too!"

for minji, makeup had always just been part of her life. having been in the performing arts from a young age, she was always putting on makeup for a musical or a dance recital or whatever else she happened to be doing, even in elementary school. by the time she was in middle school, she was wearing light makeup daily, not because she had a particular interest in makeup or anything, but because it was just something she knew how to do and decided to do along with the other girls in her grade. "ah, really?" minji smiles, catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror. she has never been one to particularly study her own looks; after all, she spent most of her time playing characters, so she was used to not 'looking herself' anyways. but her skin is in pretty good condition (something minji does put effort into, as it's her duty as an idol). she might have some dark under eyes from staying up late at night, but it's nothing too noticeable; she also puts in effort to combat them as much as she can. "i might sweat mine off," she says. "i'm predicting at least three full-out takes, assuming everything goes perfectly all three takes." minji is no stranger to filming, and knows they tend to do multiple takes of anything, even if the first take was almost flawless; sometimes, the editors just like having options so they can put out the one that feels the most right. "but i think we should be done pretty quickly regardless," the girl reasons. "we must be at a point where we're comfortable with the choreography, if they're having us film the practice now without delays."

sori was still far from being the best at giving compliments, but she tried. it just didn’t come naturally to her for some reason, usually she’d have to force out a compliment. she was getting better at it though, and when she mentioned minji looked good without make up, she did genuinely mean it. “you’re so pretty, i don’t think i’ve ever seen an ugly picture of you… how do you do it?” she places her hands on her hips as she tilts her head to the side. sori though, has also always been told she’s pretty no matter what, she just doesn’t really care for such thing.

minji gladly takes the vitamin drink, immediately uncapping it and taking a sip as she sits in a split on the ground. "you're right! this is where the dancing really counts, so i'll take all the vitamins I can get." she puts the bottle back down, then stretches forward in her split, feeling the slight pull on her hip muscles. she thinks about sori's words- the weirdness of filming in their 'natural' state, without heavy stage makeup or elaborate dancewear. minji, knowing she was filming today, did put on some very light makeup, nothing elaborate. just some mascara and a lip tint. however, it's still nowhere close to the flaw-covering glam they typically have on stage and in videos. despite not being in a 'perfect' state, minji still ends up replying "eh, i think i got used to it." after multiple years in the industry, it's second nature for her to notice cameras around at any point- prepared or not. "the fans won't mind anyways. anyone who says anything about it is probably just watching to hate in the first place."

sori didn’t care as much about her looks at her brother and dad, in that respect she was different and more like her mother. her brother and dad wore make up almost every time they went out, and the two were both big fans of working out. sori doesn’t think she’s ever even seen her mom in make up. it’s not that sori dislikes wearing make up, she loves getting her make up done, and she often does her make up herself, it’s just… not a priority for sori? she doesn’t mind going out without make up, besides, she usually isn’t lazy, but when it comes to her looks… perhaps she’s a bit lazy…

"ah, really?" minji smiles, catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror. she has never been one to particularly study her own looks; after all, she spent most of her time playing characters, so she was used to not 'looking herself' anyways. but her skin is in pretty good condition (something minji does put effort into, as it's her duty as an idol). she might have some dark under eyes from staying up late at night, but it's nothing too noticeable; she also puts in effort to combat them as much as she can.

“i’m glad you like the belts! my brand is focusing on accessories, and i think statement belts are coming back into style with the whole y2k revival. i think maybe next time i’ll add some more buckles. i like that they’re interchangeable, it saves you from having, like, 20 belts.” hyunhee laughs again before taking a sip of her drink. “easier to store, too!”

"yes! i have so many belts," she confesses, "and they are such a hassle to keep up with. it's such a good idea to have interchangeable buckles!" rather than having so many belts, she's intrigued by the idea of just having one or two, with buckles she can change whenever she wants, and however she wants.

"it is nice to be busy," minji declares. "it's part of why i decided i wanted to be an idol, since idols always have something to do. of course, i loved acting too, but considering i wanted to be a musical actress first and foremost, you usually have really long gaps between shows where you just have no work, and i felt like that'd be difficult to deal with." as much as she loves theatre, she's satisfied with doing it on the side, at least for now. "it does fly by so fast! hmm, let's see... what's the spiciest thing on their menu?" of course, minji goes for the spiciest thing. she scans down the list of chicken and lands on the classic spicy flavor. "this is what i'll try!" she says out loud, adding her order into the cart on the store's self-checkout system. "how about you, which flavor do you want?"

“yeah, i do quite enjoy being busy” she nods “now that i live alone… it can get a bit lonely to just stay at home by myself” she shrugs, “so i always try to stay busy, and if i have nothing on my schedule, i use the time on my friends or family” she smiles to the other. cherry should find a day though, to let it all out, rather than keeping herself so busy she can’t even think about it, she’s still heartbroken, the breakup hit her hard. “but musical actress, really? that’s cool, i don’t think i can do it” she shakes her head “i can’t really sing”.

surprisingly, the initial discussions with her team went off without a hitch. she’s never been the best at expressing herself, but for her brand’s newest collection, her creativity just started flowing. everything came together surprisingly well. with the model picked, it was time for hyunhee to sit down with her and discuss their plan of action.

the spread on the table is less now since it’s just the two of them, but there are still plenty of pastries to choose from. hyunhee had also contacted minji’s manager inquiring about what her favorite drink was so she could have that ready for her too. she’s halfway through a chocolate croissant when she hears a soft knock on the door.

“come in!” she yells, standing up from her seat. she waves excitedly as mini walks in, gesturing her to sit at the seat across from her. “please sit! we have lots to talk about so i made sure to get us snacks.” hyunhee takes her seat once again.

the girl made sure to come to this initial meeting in top condition. despite being a night owl, she made sure to get a full night of rest the previous night, and also made sure to arrive at the building early. "hello," she greets other excitedly, entering the room with a bounce in her step. she takes the seat across from hyunhee, immediately eyeing all of the pastries in front of her. "wow! how will i ever choose?" she jokingly asks; of course, she will try them all at least once.

the idol graciously accepts the gifts as well, gawking at the belts she immediately sees as she opens the box. "these are so cute!" she pulls one out, then stands up and immediately holds them up to her jeans. while she has no way of seeing what it looks like, she shows them to hyunhee to see. "i'm going to be wearing these all the time. thank you!"

dance practice hype

with the new comeback on the horizon, it meant there were many routine activities that needed to be filmed; and today, it was time to record the dance practice.¨ minji had dressed herself in a simple black outfit, one that she hoped would accentuate her lines and make herself look good while dancing. she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, a habit she'd held since her days in musical theatre dance classes. the girl excitedly bounced into the practice room, meeting sori inside." she smiles, plopping herself next to her and beginning to warm up, starting with a few lunges. "i was practicing in my dorm late last night, i was so excited! i want to make sure it's perfect, of course. how about you, do you think you're ready for the video?"

sori was ambivalent when it came to filming dance practice. dance surely was sori’s greatest skill, and she was very confident in it, still, having a camera film her made her a bit nervous, which makes no sense, because she’s not at all nervous when she’s performing live. perhaps she just hasn’t fully gotten used to being in front of cameras yet, it still feels… strange… unfamiliar? she doesn’t have a word for it, she just knows she still remains not the biggest fan of being filmed.

she’s wearing grey sweatpants, and a way too tight black shirt, looking in the mirror, she almost feels disgusted, not that her outfit looks bad, it just… looks like something her brother would wear… sure they’ve spent more time than usual lately, but that doesn't mean she’s becoming more like him, does it? ah well… who cares, sori is probably the only one noticing how striking similar her outfit is to what her brother wears.

she thinks about sori's words- the weirdness of filming in their 'natural' state, without heavy stage makeup or elaborate dancewear. minji, knowing she was filming today, did put on some very light makeup, nothing elaborate. just some mascara and a lip tint. however, it's still nowhere close to the flaw-covering glam they typically have on stage and in videos.

“i love this place, but i don’t think i’ve seen you here before!”, he offered her a smile, in between bites on the ramen. deciding to remove the white elephant in the room, he just explained, “i’m a legacy trainee. my name is yoojin.”

he normally wouldn’t go around telling people he was a trainee, but considering how the two of them shared that status, he didn’t think it’d be a problem. 

what was surprising was the fact that she was not only there at the restaurant, but also talking to him as if she worked there or used to help the owner. interesting.

"i try to come in when i can," she smiles, completely oblivious to the awkwardness of his question. the idol is just happy to know a legacy trainee enjoys the restaurant. "after all, it is my grandma's ramen shop." she does try her best, though it's hard with all of her overseas schedules and domestic promotions. she tries her best, though, especially when her schedule is slower.

"ah, yes, your youtube channel!" minji jumps a little, mentioning, "i watch it whenever i get the chance. usually in the car on the way to our schedules." she thinks back to the last season she watched, which was season 5. "i loved the one where you tried pole dancing with sarang-nim, it looked like so much fun!" minji also thinks back to martine corporation. having had a guest appearance in season 1, she definitely tuned into season 2, wondering what new was coming out of the story. it's unfortunate she couldn't appear as a guest again, but nonetheless, she was excited for both the new and returning cast of the series. "i think being busy can be a good thing," minji says. "i like it because it gives me something to focus on. i don't know what i'd do if i had nothing to do but sit around and wonder what i should do for the day." as she says this, the sign noting the chicken restaurant's new presence becomes clear. "oh! there it is!" she exclaims, her stride becoming a bit faster at the thought of finally getting to try this new restaurant out.

“eh! you do?" a bright smile shows up on cherry’s lips, and she can’t help but clap a little. it’s so exciting when people cherry knows watch her youtube channel, it feels like an achievement. cherry puts a lot of work into her youtube channel, coming up with ideas, filming it, editing it herself. her youtube career is still bigger than her acting career, cherry doesn’t mind it too much, she enjoys being a youtuber as well. “ah the pole dancing… it was much harder than i had expected”.

“i enjoy being busy at the moment, there’s too much stuff in my head, i need a distraction” she shakes her head. having martine corporations had really helped, cherry was constantly thinking about areum and the breakup, having something else to think about was nice. “it gets boring if there’s nothing to do anyway, i remember before i started landing acting gigs, i sat at home like: ‘what now?’". 

whether they wanted them to be individuals or a collective entity was also something she wanted to ask minji when it came to the choreography. “since it’s a team routine, i didn’t want to stand out too much but i was also wondering if you guys created the routine in mind for us to be one with each other or to be more free as if we were improvising rather than doing a practiced dance.” which would also lend to whether how relaxed lili would do the routine during the concert.

these were all aspects lili kept close to heart when portraying someone else’s ideas through dance.

she thinks about the answer to that question. she's not sure herself- but ultimately she notes "while the overarching theme is love, in a way, it's about being free to love, right?" she thinks about the storyline, a bit like a romeo-and-juliet scenario, except nobody dies. "so i don't think it hurts if in some sections, things are as synchronized- i should bring that up with sori!" she smiles, thinking it's a great idea to have some sections where nobody is dancing quite the exact same, even if the general choreography is the same for all of them.